Peter Van Hoesen - Transitional State

Peter Van Hoesen - Transitional State
Two words can adequately summarise Peter Van Hoesen: "consistent" and "dynamic." Time and time again, the Belgian has been exalted for his gentle stylistic shifts, which have sacrificed nothing in terms of quality. Happily, the trend is prolonged with Transitional State, a record which sees him shy away from bigger tracks like "North 6th" and return to slightly more abstract ideas. Like Marcel Dettmann's "Translation Two," the first track―"Nineteen Continued"―is spearheaded by fluid globs of synth. The difference is that while both are aimed at the dance floor, Van Hoesen's is far more exacting. Bouncing over clattering snares and a saggy kick, his gel-like bloops fly frenetically into one another, morphing and converging as they go.

"Transition State 1" and "2" are similarly difficult, which is to say, somewhere between your average club track and something genuinely experimental. The former waddles in kooky circles via a ripe analogue bass sequence, with tiny, ferrous vibrations shuffling underfoot. In the mid-section, the vibrations briefly depart and the bass gets more serious. "Transitional State 2" goes one further, dropping the 4/4 pulse. It's sure to confound dance floors, if it ever reaches one. Consisting of snapping bass licks and disarrayed, metallic scuffing noises, its stunted rhythm is hard to get a handle on. Conversely, "Admonition" offers a pleasant downtempo ride, the most genial of the release. Characterised by colourful yet faded chords, it sweeps woozily along, with dissonant clanks whirling themselves into a frenzy overhead. It almost sounds like a half-paced Machinedrum creation. In other words, another pleasing shift in Peter Van Hoesen's output.